Song Lang

Song Lang is a Vietnamese movie that was released in 2018. The movie stars Kim Chi, Isaac, and Vu T. Le Thi. Directed by Leon Le, it is set in the 1980s Saigon and tells the story of two men whose lives intersect - a ruthless debt collector and a Cai Luong performer.

The movie opens with a flashback to 1975, when Vietnam was in the midst of a war. The protagonist of the movie, Dung "Thunderbolt" (played by Lien Binh Phat), was just a young boy during that time. His mother was a cai luong performer and died in a bomb explosion. This event marks him for life - he wants to become a debt collector to repay the debts his mother left behind.

Fast forward to 1980s Saigon, and Dung has grown up to become a feared debt collector. He is ruthless in his tactics and is feared by anyone who owes money to his boss, Hai (played by Hoang Hien). Dung finds himself drawn to the world of Cai Luong after he meets Linh Phung "Song Lang" (played by Isaac) a rising star in the Cai Luong scene. Song Lang is everything Dung is not - he is soft-spoken, gentle, and seemingly lacks worldly desires. His love for music is all-encompassing.

Dung is initially hostile towards Song Lang but is eventually drawn to his talent and passion for music. He begins attending shows where Song Lang performs and develops a fascination with him. The movie does a great job of showing the beauty and complexity of traditional Vietnamese music. The movie also does an excellent job of showing the sort of grimy underworld that exists in debt collection.

As Dung and Song Lang grow closer, they both reveal secrets to each other. Song Lang reveals that he has a terminal illness and only has a few months to live. Dung, being the debt collector that he is, knows that Song Lang owes money to his boss and must pay up. This puts Dung in a difficult position - should he tell his boss that Song Lang has a terminal illness or should he let his boss come down hard on him?

The movie does an excellent job of showing how complicated Dung's decision is. Should he choose loyalty to his boss or loyalty to Song Lang? Should he choose his own ambitions or put someone else's needs first?

Throughout the movie, we see glimpses of Saigon in the 1980s. The city is a vibrant, bustling, and sometimes depressing place. The camera work, lighting, and color grading are all excellent and evoke the feeling of the time period quite well. We see glimpses of people struggling to get by - selling lottery tickets, cooking street food, and doing odd jobs to make ends meet.

Towards the end, the movie takes a tragic turn. Dung's boss finds out about Song Lang's illness and demands that he perform one last time to repay his debt. This performance is set to take place at a political rally, which adds to the tension. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that the ending is incredibly moving and heartbreaking.

In conclusion, Song Lang is a beautiful and poignant movie that tackles themes of loyalty, ambition, betrayal, and friendship. The movie is well-acted, well-directed, and does an excellent job of portraying the complex and often grimy underworld of debt collection in Vietnam. The music is a highlight of the movie and will make you fall in love with traditional Vietnamese music. If you're a fan of foreign language films or are looking for something outside of the traditional Hollywood fare, then Song Lang is definitely worth watching.